But after sitting down to breakfast, he couldn’t be more polite and humble about how his career has taken off with the success of HBO’s brawny medieval fantasy drama. Sipping his tea, he talks about his upbringing in London.

(From the pages of the April 2 issue of Variety.)

“I always thought I would be a journalist, and never really saw acting as a career, only as a hobby,” Harington says.

His “hobby” became a serious pursuit after he decided to attend London’s Central School of Speech & Drama. From there, he had the good fortune to land the lead in the National Theater’s production of “War Horse” in 2008.

“Thrones,” which just started its third season, has put Harington on Hollywood’s radar. Because he’s working on a hit show, he has the luxury of being selective about other roles.

“My dream project would be to work on a Coen brothers movie,” Harington says. “I love the stories and characters they create.”

The “Thrones” experience has been good for all the actors, no matter that they’re off in the wilds of Ireland and Morocco for months out of the year shooting the show.

“I think that is a true testament to what we have accomplished,” he says. “By not relying on a superstar to carry the show but an ensemble instead.”

Harington thinks the uniqueness of his character, the bastard Jon Snow, has helped make him a fan favorite among the sprawling troupe. The character may be the only primetime hunk who has taken an oath of celibacy.

“I love playing the hero, and he’s a great hero to play,” Harington says. “The funny thing is I think we are now rooting for him to get laid, which is kind of nice too.”